These homemade chocolate chip cookies without baking soda are going to rock your world! All it takes is 30 minutes and a few simple ingredients to whip up these ooey, gooey chocolatey treasures!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer.
Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies are truly one of life’s greatest pleasures and nothing compares to homemade.
Many of us have our favorite recipes for this timeless classic, but what happens when we are missing a couple of ingredients? There is no need to panic or make an extra trip to the store — we got this.
Many recipes call for a leavening agent, such as baking soda, but it’s certainly not necessary. These chocolate chip cookies with no baking soda are proof, and I’m excited to share this recipe with you.
Here’s what I’m going to teach you in this post:
- All the ingredients you need to make this chocolate chip cookie recipe without baking soda
- What to substitute for baking soda in chocolate chip cookies
- Helpful tips on making the best chocolate chip cookies with no baking soda
This recipe is simple, easy, and scrumptious — all with no baking soda and no baking powder. Get ready for your house to smell divine!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Take two baking sheets, line them with parchment paper, and set them aside.
STEP TWO: Cream butter and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and eggs and mix thoroughly.
STEP THREE: In the same bowl, sift in flour and salt and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
STEP FOUR: Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Once you’re ready to bake, scoop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets using a medium cookie scoop (I love my OXO cookie scoop). Leave 2 inches between each scoop to allow for spreading.
STEP FIVE: Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is slightly undercooked. Cool on the pan for 3 to 5 minutes to finish setting the centers. Then, transfer them to wire racks to finish cooling.
What Can I Use Instead of Baking Soda in Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way! If you’d like to test out other leavening agents, here are some ideas to get you started:
- Baking powder can be used in place of baking soda in most recipes, but it’s not as strong. Use 3 times as much baking powder as you would baking soda.
- Potassium bicarbonate is another effective substitute and is a 1:1 substitution. The lower sodium content may change the flavor of your recipe, so you may need to add a pinch of salt.
- Baker’s ammonia (ammonium carbonate) is another, less common option. It is also a 1:1 substitution. This option is best for thinner, crispier recipes such as these cookies.
- Self-rising flour can also be used in recipes in place of all-purpose flour and baking soda. This flour already contains baking powder and salt. It is important to note that other ingredients in your chocolate chip recipe will need to be adjusted, which can be tricky.
Of course, if you don’t have any of these clever substitutes in the cupboard, simply follow this top-notch recipe for homemade chocolate chip cookies without baking powder or baking soda. Voila — no substitutes required!
Tips for Making This Chocolate Chip Recipe Without Baking Soda
A few simple steps will make your cookies the best they can possibly be:
- Make sure your oven is preheated at the correct temperature and correctly calibrated.
- Use room-temperature ingredients when making the dough, then chill the dough before baking.
- Gather all of your ingredients before starting and be sure to measure precisely.
- Avoid overmixing! Stop as soon as there are no more visible streaks of flour.
- Keep a close eye on the oven and don’t overbake.
How Will Making Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda Change My Cookies?
Baking soda is a leavening agent, which means it causes your dough or batter to rise. In the case of baking soda, carbon dioxide bubbles are released during baking, causing the rising action.
Since this cookie recipe has no leavening agent, the cookies will turn out thicker and denser. I personally love a dense cookie — more scrumptiousness per square inch!
You can also try my sugar cookie recipe without baking soda and banana bread without baking soda!
What Can I Add To Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Do you feel like jazzing up your cookies a bit? Get as creative and adventurous as you’d like! Here are a few add-ins and upgrades to consider:
- Change up your chips! How about trying white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, or a combination?
- M&Ms, Reese’s pieces, or your other favorite candy
- Smashed up candy bar bits
- Nuts
- Sprinkles
- Get creative and have fun!
Other Homemade Cookies Recipes You’ll Love:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
- Hershey Kiss Cookies Without Peanut Butter
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies With No Butter
- Vanilla Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 35 Easy Holiday Cookies
- Butterscotch Chip Cookies
- Easy Iced Thumbprint Cookies
- Eggless Cookies
- Chocolate Toffee Thumbprint Cookies
- Snowball Cookies Without Nuts
More recipes You’ll love
Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Baking Soda
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter cool
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs cold
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Â
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.Â
- Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.Â
- Sift in the flour and salt and mix until just combined.Â
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or until you’re ready to bake.Â
- Use a medium cookie scoop to drop rounded spoonfuls of dough on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and slightly underdone — be careful not to overbake.Â
- Cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer them to baking racks to cool completely.
Video
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Today I’m going to bake this cookies , thank you for your recipe 🥰
Hi Gloria,
Let us know how they turn out!
Hey, I was looking to make a cookie cake without baking soda and this has been the only recipe I have been able to find. Do you think this cookie recipe could be turned into a cookie cake?
Hi Mae,
This recipe could be done as a cookie cake, just remember that cooking time will increase and to watch it as it bakes because the larger size will cook differently than the smaller cookies. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks 🙂
Hi! At what temperature should we bake these cookies?
Hi Agnes,
As the recipe states you should preheat the oven to 350 degrees F for these cookies.
Thanks 🙂
Hey! Just tried the cookies! I think they need a bit more than 8-12 minutes but other than that they are delicious! Would make any if I don’t have baking powder.
Yes, if the cookies are a little larger, they will need more cooking time. Cookies should always be pulled out of the oven right before they are done cooking as they will continue baking on the cookie sheet for a few minutes when they’re pulled out.
how do i store the cookies? in an air tight container? with saran wrap?
Hi Kaysie, you can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days on the counter, a week in the fridge, and in the freezer for about 3 months.
This recipe does not have enough sugar.
I’m usually all for healthier recipes, but that was not my intent tonight. I wanted an actual sweet treat, so I made it a point to search for a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, not a healthy one. I noticed that most recipes called for baking soda/flour, but I didn’t have any, so I specifically chose this one after seeing that it had good reviews.
I got out all of the ingredients I knew I would need, and was surprised to see that white sugar was not on the ingredient list for this recipe. I figured I was either misremembering how to make cookies, or that the amount of brown sugar would make up for it.
I finished baking them, bit into one with enthusiasm, and…. I might as well have bitten into bread with chocolate chips.
I compared this to several other recipes, including ones that also do not call for baking soda/powder, and they ALL listed about 1.5 times the amount of sugar, and included white sugar.
This recipe may be OK if you just want some warm chocolate, but not if you want actual chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately, that was the last of my chocolate chips, so I can’t even have a do-over. I have no idea how this recipe has such great reviews.
Hi LeeAnn, Sorry the cookies didn’t meet your expectations. This recipe uses a balanced ratio of ingredients designed to create a certain texture and sweetness. If you’re looking for a sweeter cookie, you might consider adding 1/4 of white sugar in addition to the brown sugar the next time you bake. I hope this helps.
It’s almost like cake in density but tough and not sweet
Hi Shawn, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Overmixing the dough can create tough cookies. Be sure to mix enough to incorporate the ingredients and not any longer to prevent them from becoming tough.
Made these tonight! Needed a recipe that didn’t need baking powder or soda & came across this. I also realized I didn’t have brown sugar ( I subbed white sugar w a splash of maple syrup) They turned out great. Sorry I didn’t follow recipe exactly but wanted to leave this comment incase someone else also didn’t have brown sugar & was worried about how they would turn out
Hi Kenzie, So glad these worked out for you! Enjoy.